NBN showdown: Malcolm Turnbull debates Labor's Ed Husic

By Clare Rawlinson, Julia Christensen

Shadow Minister for Communications Malcolm Turnbull and Parliamentary Secretary for Broadband Ed Husic have gone head to head in a debate over the NBN on ABC Local Radio today, as the NBN was switched on in Darwin.

The NBN's rollout in Darwin today will reach around 3000 people with superfast speeds using fibre optic technology.

It is the leading one of three technologies being used to rollout the NBN, alongside satellite (for remote areas) and fixed wireless for some regional areas.

Fixed wireless can be accessed though the NBN in Darwin's rural area, where Humpty Doo famer Han Shiong Siah became the first Territorian to connect earlier this year.

Parliamentary Secretary for Broadband, Ed Husic, said the NBN's rollout would reach more areas in Darwin over the coming months, and other locations such as Nhulunbuy would be switched on over the next year.

He defended flyers distributed by Labor Senator Trish Crossin telling voters the network would be free under Labor but could cost residents up to $5000 to connect under the Coalition's plan.

"It's not misleading," Mr Husic said in response to attacks from Malcolm Turnbull on ABC Darwin breakfast radio.

"Everyone knows they'll have a connection cost when they sign up for a retailer."

Under the Coalition's plan for the NBN, fibre optic broadband would only be available from the node to private residences on a request basis and at a cost of at least $2000 per connection.

Mr Husic said so far the take-up rate for fibre optic broadband was at around 33 per cent of the market where NBN is available - faster than the 28 per cent take up that was achieved over the first six years of ADSL broadband.

"We're trying to ensure we have a network that can meet ever growing hunger for data," he said.

"Predictions are that data will grow by 4300 per cent across the world. What we're doing is building for that growth.

"Fibre is hands down the best way to get it there - the reason I can say it's the most dominant technology is that it's the way of the future - it's what will deliver the fastest speeds, it's what Google is rolling out overseas...and I think we can take a hint from them."

Meanwhile Malcolm Turnbull says the Coalition's plan is more cost effective because it only delivers fibre optic broadband where there is demand.

He said under their plan, business centres, schools, hospitals, and other places deemed high demand for superfast internet would have fibre optic broadband delivered.

"But in residential areas...where you can deliver very high speeds well in excess of the speeds people need to access the services they value, at a quarter of the cost and time, by not taking the fibre into the house, that's what we will do," he said.

"If somebody in a residential area does want a fibre connection to their house, yes, they can pay something extra.

"If they want fast broadband....they can get a new modem and get connected to the node."